Parliament, Thursday, 30 September 2021 – National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says the citizens of South Africa need a strong and vibrant legislative sector whose interventions are anchored on the will and the aspirations of the people.
Delivering her maiden speech at the penultimate meeting of the Speakers’ Forum in Pretoria, as the newly elected Speaker and convenor, Ms Mapisa-Nqakula, called for a speedy resolution of matters that inhibit the work of all legislatures. These include the speedy adoption of international best practices in resourcing of Parliaments as benchmarked with several developed and developing countries including top slicing in fiscal allocations. These are matters discussed with the executive and the Ministry of Finance. She said: “Whatever we do, a mechanism should be devised, to ensure that the legislative sector, as a distinct arm of the state, is not subordinated to the unfettered authority of the Executive, in determining its resource requirements for the proper fulfilment of its mandate”.
She said her office will be liaising with the Presidency and the Chief Justice’s office for the heads of the three arms of the state to agree on clear protocols and procedures for handling challenges and aligning their programmes. She said the role of the legislature, its connection with citizens and delivery of its mandate has to be done with excellence. “The voters are yearning for more involvement in the decisions that shape their lives and are calling for a responsive leadership in this regard. They are clearly saying that they will no longer be bystanders in the governance of their country,” said Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula.
She highlighted a need to protect and advance the objectives of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) with hopes that the meeting scheduled for November 2021 will pave a better path for the PAP.
The meeting began with a moment of silence in remembrance of several Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Legislatures and officials that lost their battle against the Covid-19 pandemic and to other tragedies.
The Chairperson of the session, National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo, urged Speakers and Deputy Speakers, as well as executive management teams to relook at how the legislatures work to overcome numerous serious challenges facing the government and the country. Mr Masondo said citizens were keenly hoping for positive outcomes from current and expected interventions of legislatures in fighting corruption, poverty, unemployment and the struggling economy.
The one-day hybrid session of the Speakers’ Forum was called by Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula to attend to a range of these urgent challenges, even in the context of a Parliamentary recess to enable members to join an increasingly intensifying campaign for local government elections scheduled for 1 November 2021.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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